


Crystal Paradise

by Beans_of_our_time, SeegerBean



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Abandonment, Adult Connie, Adult Steven Universe, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Prostitution, Bad Parenting, Drug Use, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Everyone Has Issues, Forced Prostitution, Forced love, Gang Violence, Gen, Heavy Angst, Human Trafficking, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kidnapping, Mental Instability, Murder, Mutilation, Obsession, Physical Abuse, Rape/Non-con Elements, Unhealthy Relationships, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2019-07-06 05:11:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15879231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beans_of_our_time/pseuds/Beans_of_our_time, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeegerBean/pseuds/SeegerBean
Summary: At Crystal Paradise, Rose's word is law, and she stands down for no one. Not even her own son.





	1. Chapter 1

The back of the truck smelled like shit, and all the girl could do was hope that they reached wherever they were taking her soon.

The day had started early for her: her uncle had staggered in, grabbing her by her hair, pulling her to his car. This was normal enough. Even the truck hadn’t tipped her off to anything out of the ordinary. But when the drivers stepped out of the vehicle and looked at her with greed instead of hunger, appraising her instead of leering at her, her heart dropped into her stomach and she began to scream and pull away from her uncle. The bastard had finally sold her to one of the cartels.

Now she sat, her knees pulled up to her chin. She didn’t cry, she didn’t say anything. She just stared at the empty walls around her, occasionally shifting her balance when the vehicle took a particularly sharp turn. Every now and then, she could faintly hear one of the drivers, laughing or yelling about something. She didn’t try to listen, it wouldn’t do her any good.

Where would she go? It depended on who was driving her. If she was really unlucky, she’d be put to work as a mule, trafficking all sorts of substances until she was caught or killed. Maybe she’d get sold off to some rich freak as a live-in maid. At least then she’d have a roof over her head, maybe even regular food. She vaguely remembered a girl on her street who had disappeared several years ago. She had been spotted occasionally around town after that, dressed nice enough, always with several kids in tow. She never talked to anyone.

A particularly loud shout from the drivers pulled the girl from her thoughts. God, the truck stank. She was clearly not the first girl to be taken to a new life in this vehicle, and she wouldn’t be the last, not as long as the money was good.

Would she still be in Jersey? She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be or not. It was the armpit of the nation, a foul collection of corruption and violence willfully forgotten by the outside world; but it was home. She knew what to expect everyday, what neighborhoods to avoid.

The truck braked suddenly and she had to reach a hand out to keep from rolling. The truck was still for one second, two seconds . . . The truck started rolling again and the girl couldn’t help but let out a frustrated groan.

“Wherever we’re going, just get me there!” She yelled at the drivers, smacking her fist against the wall closest to them. Muffled laughter pierced her ears and she slunk away, a bitter knot in her chest. What if she had been sold for parts? Surely her uncle wasn’t that cruel. Surely he wouldn’t sell his niece off for her kidneys. She had to take a few deep breaths to keep herself calm after that pleasant thought, wrapping her arms around her head.

Finally, after what could have been years, the truck lurched to a stop. She held her breath, expecting it to be another light. Instead, she could hear the truck’s engine rumble to a stop, and two car doors were opened and closed. She turned to face the entrance, and the door rolled up to reveal two stony-faced women, dressed in expensive suits that had clearly seen better days.

“Welcome home,” the shorter one spoke, her face completely blank.

“Lucky you.” The taller one couldn’t hide the malicious glee in her voice.

They reached in, each grabbing an arm and pulling, hard. The girl stumbled out of the back of the truck, looking around for some clue to where she was. She was in a city, based on the scream of sirens and horns. The sky above was hazy, the morning sun just barely peeking through the smog around them. Finally, she decided to look at the building in front of her.

It was a massage parlor. A run-of-the-mill, shitty massage parlor. A few painfully stereotypical prints of chakras and yoga poses dotted the windows, and the neon hum of the open sign punctured the girl’s ears. Above them, in lit-up pink block letters, was the name of the establishment: _Crystal Paradise_.

The two drivers marched the girl up to the door and inside. Behind the front desk was a blonde woman with a deep-set scowl. She peered at them over her thick glasses, her nose wrinkled in disgust.

“Is this the new girl?” Her voice was sharp and nasal. The girl felt no sympathy from her; rather, the woman behind the desk seemed personally affronted with her pitiful existence.

“Yeah, her uncle sold her and we picked her up this morning. What a fucker!” The taller woman laughed, a grating, barking sound that made the girl feel nauseous.

The blonde woman didn’t respond to the woman’s laughter, merely handing the shorter one a thick envelope. The drivers threw the girl forward, nodding to the blonde as they left. The girl stared at the floor, scared. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the rocking of the overhead fans and the clacking of the blonde woman’s keyboard as she typed furiously. Finally, she stopped and cleared her throat, getting the girl’s attention.

“So, do you want us to assign you a name or do you want to pick one? A gemstone name, preferably.”

The girl stared, her mouth agape. She had to change her name? She didn’t even know what she was going to do here! The blonde cleared her throat again, impatiently. “I’d rather we do this now so I have something to introduce you to Rose as.”

The girl stammered, thinking. “Would . . . Would Amethyst be okay?” She remembered the necklace her older sister had given her when she was barely six. She had lost it several years back, but she never forgot the deep purple as it faded into a pearly base.

The blonde sniffed. “That should be fine. I’m Peridot, I’m the accountant here at Crystal Paradise.” She turned and opened a door leading to the back. “Let’s go meet Rose, she’ll fill you in on what you’ll be expected to do.” She led the way, her tall heels clipping against the floor. Amethyst (as she was now named, apparently) looked around her, trying to gleam what she could about the place. The hallway they were walking through was dim and narrow; Amethyst could smell incense as they walked through the corridor of doors. At the end of the hall was a door that read “Employees Only” in pink cursive. Peridot knocked and entered without waiting for a response.

The room they entered was small, barely enough room for the two of them and the desk which lay in front of them. Behind the desk was a large woman who, even sitting, looked rather tall. Her pink hair fell in long coils about her shoulders, and her gaze as she turned her attention to them seemed almost warm.

“Hello, Peridot.” The woman’s voice was low and smooth, like honey whiskey. She looked over at Amethyst and smiled softly. “Is this the new girl?”

“Yes, she just arrived. She chose ‘Amethyst’ for her name.”

The woman stood up, confirming Amethyst’s hunch that she was indeed tall. “Welcome, Amethyst. We’re so happy you’re working for us now.”

Amethyst looked down at the desk, suddenly feeling cold. “Are you Rose?”

The tall woman smiled gently, cupping Amethyst’s chin so she would meet her gaze. “Rose Quartz, owner of Crystal Paradise.” She looked over to Peridot. “I don’t suppose you told her what it is we do here?” When Peridot shook her head, Rose’s smile dimmed, barely. “Alright then. Peridot, you’re free to go. I’ll have a quick chat with Amethyst and send her to her room.” Peridot shuffled quickly out of the room, seemingly eager to leave. When the door closed, Rose turned her full attention to the young woman sitting in front of her.

“How old are you, sweetheart?” she murmured.

“Nineteen.”

“Good, good. Well, as I’m sure you’ve already noticed, we’re a massage parlor. Nothing more, nothing less. People come in with all sorts of knots and kinks and we help them right out.” She looked the young woman in the eye, seeing if she was following. She was satisfied with whatever she saw, because she sat on the desk next to Amethyst, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. “And if someone is willing to pay a little more, we help them out a little more. Do you understand?”

Amethyst’s face went a little grey as Rose’s words sunk in. “I’m a hooker now?”

Rose giggled and patted her reassuringly. “It’s a bit of a crude term, but that’s the gist of it.” She searched Amethyst’s face again and, seeing panic, dropped to her knees, cupping Amethyst’s face. “Oh, sweetheart, listen to me. If I hadn’t bought you from the Malachite Cartel, who would have? This is the best of a bad situation. You’ll be taken care of here; we’re a family at Crystal Paradise.”

Rose’s voice was kind and calm, but it wasn’t enough to mask what Amethyst’s life had suddenly become.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is probably going to be mostly written by SeegerBean, but the original idea and outline came from Beans_of_our_time, who did character editing for "Blogs and Boots" by SeegerBean.  
> Thank you for reading! Any comments and criticisms welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

Amethyst was patted on the head and pushed back out the door, where Peridot was waiting, standing at attention. When she saw Amethyst’s puffy eyes, she sneered.

“You’ve got about a week to stop crying. Rose doesn’t like the girls getting too sad.” She turned around and started to walk away, only stopping when she realized that Amethyst wasn’t following her. “Well? Come on!” 

Amethyst was quickly guided into another room, this one painted a tacky shade of pink. In the corner was a bed and dresser, and a door led into a  very large bathroom. Before Peridot yanked the bathroom door closed, Amethyst could see two showers and several other doors lining the walls. She assumed those were the other employees’ bedrooms.

She bit her lip, choking back a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob? An employee? She’d be turning tricks for creepy, old men by sundown. Her life had been literally sold away from her, and all she could do was hope that one day she’d get out. Preferably alive.

Peridot said little else, merely informing Amethyst that she’d have clothes and goods that evening. Amethyst nodded without listening, and the sharp accountant left quickly. Once the door had closed, Amethyst slowly moved to the bathroom. She began to splash her face, hoping maybe it would make her feel better. She didn’t have much of a chance to feel any different before a door opened, revealing a woman with large, glassy eyes. Her bleach-fried bangs framed a gaunt face on an equally thin body. She held herself like a dancer who hadn’t seen a studio in a long, long time.

The woman eyed Amethyst with more curiosity than anything else. “You must be new here. When did you show up?”

Amethyst wiped some of the water from her face. “Just today. My uncle sold me.”

The woman smiled sadly. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Garnet and I were sold here by the Malachite Cartel. My name’s Pearl. You are?”

Amethyst nearly spat out her real name before remembering Crystal Paradise’s strange theme. “Amethyst.” Pearl’s smile brightened and she knocked on the door next to her. A tall woman in near-black shades and an afro stuck her head out.

“Garnet, this is Amethyst, she just arrived today.”

Garnet waved at Amethyst and, when nothing more was said, quickly ducked back into her own room.

“She’s always been like that. She’s sweet, just kinda quiet.”

Amethyst wasn’t feeling too talkative either, but allowed Pearl to ramble a little bit about life at Crystal Paradise. It took Amethyst a second to realize that Pearl was asking her something, eagerly.

“Wha’?”

“I said, did you meet Rose yet?”

“Oh, yeah, she seems . . . kind.”

Pearl’s expression turned into one of absolute adoration. “She’s an absolute saint. She cares so much about us here. She’s the most caring woman I’ve ever met.”

_ So kind of her to pimp us out _ , Amethyst thought to herself. “Have you been here long?”

“Oh yes! Garnet and I arrived here about a year ago. At first, I was utterly terrified. The clients were obscene and Peridot was cruel in other ways.” Pearl spat the accountant’s name out like a slug had found its way into her mouth. “But Rose looked out for me, took care of me. Within two months, we had become close friends.” She leaned in towards Amethyst, motioning her to do the same. She cupped a hand to her mouth to whisper in the younger woman’s ear. “Maybe even closer than friends.” Pearl pulled away, her hands over her mouth like she was a giddy student and not a woman in her mid-twenties.

Amethyst blinked a few times, processing what she had heard. Words failed to form, so she gave Pearl a thumbs-up and quietly excused herself back to her room. The door to the bathroom had barely closed when the main door to her room slowly opened up, now revealing a very young man.

For a brief moment, Amethyst’s vision blurred and she couldn’t breathe. Was this her first customer? She forced herself to calm down and looked at him again. He barely looked older than she was. His round face was practically juvenile under his mess of curly black hair.

The boy waved at her, meekly. “Hello. Are you Amethyst?”

“Yeah. You must be a customer?” Amethyst sat on the edge of her bed, hoping he didn’t notice her hands shaking.

To her surprise, he suddenly fell at least a shade paler. “God, no! I’m Rose’s son, Steven. I just wanted to see how you were doing. The first day is always rough.”

Amethyst let out a bark of laughter. “I’ll say. My uncle sold me to the Malachite Cartel this morning. Who sells their niece? Stupid fucking junky. Now I’m a hooker.”

Steven winced. “At least there’s a roof over your head, right? A bed.”

Amethyst sighed, looking down. “I suppose. It could be worse, but . . .” She trailed off, and he nodded in pity, hid well as sympathy.

“Well, Steven, I see you two are getting along nicely. I don’t suppose you want to try it out first?”

Steven and Amethyst both jumped at hearing Rose’s voice. She stood in the doorway, a condescending smirk on her lips.

“Mom . . .”

“What? She just came in. I would think it’d be quite a treat to get first run.”

Amethyst felt nauseous. Not even twenty minutes ago, Rose was holding her face, reassuring her that she was family. Now, she was pushing her onto her son like a Christmas toy.

“Mom, I really don’t want to.”

Rose sneered, a positively glacial expression. “I figured as much. Get out of here.” Steven quickly pushed past his mom, who turned to Amethyst, her face again nothing but warmth and kindness. “He’s next in line, but he’s got a lot to learn. It’s a shame he turned you down. I’ll be sure to talk to him about manners later. I’ll be back in a few with a work outfit and some clothes,  and tomorrow we’ll go over what all your duties are, okay? Get some rest, you’ve had a long day.” With that, Rose positively beamed at the confused girl as she closed the door.

 

“What the hell is wrong with you? Every time we get a new girl, I offer you first go, and every time you run from the room, crying like a pussy! What is your fucking problem?”

Steven and Rose were in her office, standing on opposite sides of the desk. Steven stood hunched, staring down at his feet. Rose rested on her hands, leaning over the desk.

“It’s the same damn thing every time, so I’ll ask you again: what is your problem?”

Steven said nothing. 

Rose sighed and sat down. “Steven, how are you going to run this place if you don’t man up? I’ve worked very hard to build myself a nice little business here, and you should be grateful that it’s going to you! Don’t you care about all the hard work I do for you?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Oh, so you’re just choosing to ignore my sacrifices?”

“No ma’am.”

Rose pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a long, low groan. There was silence for a moment. When Rose looked back up at her son, her eyes were wide with concern. “Steven, we’ve been over this. If it weren’t for me, these girls would be dead, dying, or better off that way. The Malachite Cartel doesn’t care where they go, and whoever put them in the position to get sold to me  _ really _ doesn’t care. I offer these girls a new life, and you sit there acting like I’m just as bad as anyone else. This is Empire City; you have to learn that there are no good guys.”

Steven said nothing, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He supposed his mom was at least a little right. She didn’t beat the girls; she fed them and gave them a place to sleep. It was a known fact that Rose Quartz didn’t tolerate particularly obnoxious customers. But Steven couldn’t help but feel that the fact they were involved with any of this in the first place was a bad sign.

After a moment of silence, he nodded. “I get it, Mom.”

Rose Quartz picked up some papers, her attention already elsewhere. “Good. Now go home, I’ve got numbers to deal with.”

Steven quickly left, and Rose stared at the door for a moment after he did. He had such a caring soul. It was going to get him killed if she couldn’t wring it out of him. She stared at the papers in her hand, trying to focus. After a moment, she picked up her phone from her desk, pressing a button. 

“Peridot, can you come back to my office for a moment?” There was a mumbled affirmation, and Rose put the phone down, fluffing her hair a bit to look her best.

A moment later, there was a knock on the door and Peridot stuck her head in slowly. “Yes, Ms. Quartz?”

“Peridot, what did I say about that? Call me Rose.” Rose winked at her secretary, who was only able to summon a thin-lipped smile.

“Yes ma’am. You wanted to see me?”

Rose stood up and went around her desk, handing the papers in her hand to Peridot. “I’ve skimmed these, but I want you to double-check, make sure our expenses haven’t been too high.” Neither woman was unaware of Rose’s hand delicately resting on Peridot’s.

“Yes, Rose. I’ll go take these out front in case we have any customers.” Before Rose could say anything, her accountant was gone out the door. Rose giggled as she fell back into her seat. She remembered so well when Peridot had first been brought to her. It had been early in her career, shortly after she had stopped turning tricks and had decided to take a more managerial approach. Back then, Peridot had been a spindly, little thing, not unlike Pearl. Now she was gorgeous, and Rose could never quite hide her disbelief that she had someone like her under her.

Her phone rang, pulling her from her musing, and Rose growled when she saw the caller ID. Greg DeMayo. She grabbed her phone, not bothering to hide her irritation. “Yeah?”

“Damn, bad day at work?”

“It was going pretty well, until I saw your horny ass calling.”

“God, relax, babe. I was just curious if you wanted to try some of my latest merch is all.”

“You better not be trying to sell me another EP, ‘Mr. Universe’.”

Any attempt at charm on Greg’s end vanished. “Do you fucking want anything or what?”

Rose rolled her eyes. He was such a little bitch. “Yeah, sure. Some bud might help the new girl calm down.”

“Oh?”

“Not tonight, Greg, she’s not one I can throw to the wolves immediately. Give her a week or two.” Rose smirked, her voice suddenly a little more sultry. “But if it’s any good, maybe I can ask for my usual discount?”

Greg chuckled lasciviously. “On my way, babe.”

“Stop calling me that.” Rose hung up, tired of him. If he didn’t have such good blow and better cock, she would have gotten rid of him years ago.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning: Suicide mention, predatory language, drug use

Pearl sat in her room, folding clothes methodically. She had always enjoyed the rhythmic process. It was her form of meditation, to the point where she folded Garnet’s clothes for her and would even undo her own clothes, folding a single shirt over and over again. At the moment, her thoughts were focused on the new girl, Amethyst.

How heartless could someone be to sell their own family like that? Poor thing. At least she was in a good place now. Rose wouldn’t spare anything to keep her safe, she never did. There wasn’t a single person Pearl trusted more than Rose Quartz. She remembered what it was like when she was new like Amethyst: weeks of night terrors and panic attacks, crying herself to sleep every night she had to work. Men were such disgusting creatures. Every time one of them touched her, her stomach would turn violently. It was only when Rose would come in and stroke her hair, telling her softly what a good job she had done for her, that she would be able to fall asleep. Rose would take care of Amethyst, certainly. The mental image of Rose taking care of Amethyst like she had taken care of her made her feel warm for a second. Then a cold pang of jealousy ran through her. Maybe a little tough love wouldn’t be too bad for the new girl.

There was a knock at the door. Pearl set down the shirt she had been folding and went to answer it. When she opened the door to Peridot, she made no attempt to hide her contempt.

“The usual?”

“Why else would I talk to you?” Peridot said it matter-of-factly, with no malice in her voice. She handed over a stack of papers. “Some days, you’re what keeps this place running.”

Pearl shot her an ugly look and walked over to her bedside table. “I’d rather you not say things like that.” She pulled out a pen and signed the papers, copying Rose’s distinct signature flawlessly. Pearl tidied the stack of papers, handing them back to Peridot, making sure their hands didn’t touch. If Peridot noticed Pearl’s distaste, she said nothing. She simply gave Pearl a curt nod and left.

The second her door closed, Pearl went back to her little table, pulling out a ledger. Peridot had been asking her to sign papers for several months now, ever since she found out Pearl could fake Rose’s signature so well. According to Peridot, it was for the sake of Crystal Palace. What would normally be a protracted debate about certain necessities could now be solved in a few minutes. Pearl knew, on some level, that Peridot was right. Rose was many things, including stubborn, while her skills in business barely scraped the bottom of that list. But if Rose ever discovered what Peridot was doing, she would see it as a betrayal. So Pearl began to remember as many of the things she had signed off on as possible, writing down the date in her ledger. Soon, she would get rid of that nasty little woman.

 

Peridot went through the papers as she walked back to the front desk, muttering to herself as she read through the reports. Everything looked good. None of the expenses seemed suspicious; to be more accurate, none of the expenses indicated that the massage parlor was actually housing prostitutes.

She nodded, impressed, as she looked at Pearl’s signature. It really was a minor blessing that she had been able to talk her into doing this for her. Rose was so clueless about certain things, and it was just easier to go around her and avoid the usual hour long argument about why they actually needed to buy food and clothing on a semi-regular basis.

Peridot could feel herself getting a little angry and took a deep breath, clearing her head. Rose cared about the girls, she just forgot sometimes what life on your back was like. Peridot, however, remembered it all too well.

She sat at her seat, placing the papers beside her as she pulled up another file to work on. Peridot was fully aware that she owed pretty much everything to Rose Quartz. She had picked her, for some reason, and had pulled her up from the rest of the girls.

Except Peridot knew what that “some reason” was, and it was getting harder to deal with. One of these days, Rose was going to pin her to the wall, and God help Peridot if she tried to deny her.

Rose’s son walked by, clearly upset about something, and her mind drifted to the new girl. She knew she had been harsh with her. It was easier that way. The sooner they stopped crying, the sooner they realized that their life was shit now, the better. She remembered, shortly after Rose had promoted her, a girl who had chosen the name of  Rhodonite. For two months straight, she had cried, loudly. Even Rose’s usual gentle touch hadn’t been enough, and she had eventually given up on the girl. One night, Peridot was walking the halls and noticed Rhodonite wasn’t crying, for once. She already knew what she was going to find before she pushed Rhodonite’s door open, and was calling for Rose the second she saw her lifeless form on the floor. It was easier to just give up a little and accept what was happening.

Peridot was pulled from her memories by the sound of a car door slamming shut. Greg Universe had just arrived. Great. 

 

Greg pulled up to Crystal Paradise, braking hard. He saw Steven walking out, looking down dejectedly, and quickly sunk into his seat. He couldn’t stand that self-righteous brat. Such a drag. When Rose’s kid was no longer in sight, he tossed his hair and stepped out of the vehicle. Show time.

He had met Rose years and years ago, when she was still a working girl herself. He still had a full head of hair then, and more importantly, he had good connections. Back then, Rose had been especially fond of blow, and no one in Empire City had better stuff than Greg Universe. Marty had briefly been on top, but Greg had taken care of that. And it wasn’t just coke—Greg was the go-to man for tweaky truck drivers and doped up businessmen alike. Perhaps the only thing Mr. Universe couldn’t sell was an EP.

Greg swaggered into the massage parlor. Peridot wrinkled her nose but said nothing, merely pointing to Rose’s office. He winked at her and began to whistle a tune he was working on as he headed to the back. He noticed that the there was a new sign up on one of the doors in the main hallway:  _ Amethyst _ . So that was what the new girl was calling herself. He hoped he got to meet her soon: they were more fun when they were fresher. Greg chuckled a little at the thought and double checked his coat pockets, making sure they were full. Satisfied, he strolled up to Rose’s door, knocking.

“First room on your left, I’ll be right in.”

Greg opened the door and was greeted with an everyday massage parlor, complete with ambient music. Groaning, he reached up into the corner and turned the speaker off.

Rose quickly entered, wearing a silk robe and little else. “Did you turn off the music again? It’s supposed to be relaxing.”

Greg rolled his eyes. “You act like people actually come here for relaxation.” He paused for a moment, the gears in his head creaking. “Although, if you think about it…”

Rose giggled, pushing him back slowly onto the massage table. “Exactly, so why don’t I help you relax?” She kissed him gently, her hands roaming down his body.

“First things first. Want a bump?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little baggy filled with white powder and a tiny spoon.

“Oh, God yes.”

***

“Jesus, I didn’t know you could still bend like that.”

“Just because I’m semi-retired doesn’t mean I don’t practice.”

Greg paused for a moment, then shook his head. He didn’t want to know.

“By the way, did you bring anything for the girl?”

“Yeah, it’s not the best quality, but it’s free.” He reached into another pocket, tossing a small bag of weed to Rose. “Are you sure I can’t meet her? I think Amethyst is a lovely name.”

Rose tucked away the baggie, scowling. “Have a heart, Greg. Her uncle sold her to us.”

“That’s not my fault. Besides, somebody’s gotta be the first. I guarantee your kid won’t.”

“Ugh, tell me about it. He’s such a little bitch sometimes. I have no idea where he gets it from.”

“You’re telling me.” He gave her a pointed look. “Well?”

“Fine. Once she goes through training, if no one comes in that first day, she’s all yours. Just… be gentle for once, God.” 

“No promises.”

Greg’s smirk was quickly gone when Rose grabbed his hair, yanking him violently so that he couldn’t look anywhere else but her.

“I’m dead serious, DeMayo. I like you. We’ve been friends for a long time. Don’t think for a second I wouldn’t leave you at the bottom of a lake somewhere if I ever found out you hurt one of my girls.”

Greg nodded quickly, trying to push back the tears from the sudden pain. Rose let go, shoving him away. He scampered out the door quickly, leaving Rose alone.

She was pretty okay with the thought of gutting him; she was just surprised no one else had done it yet.


	4. Chapter 4

Steven wove his way home, avoiding back alleys and crossing the road wherever he could. They didn’t live in the worst part of the city— Kinder Grove was a few miles east—but he still had to have an eye open at all times. Empire City was a selfish city, and no one would throw you a bone that hadn’t been violently wrested from someone else’s maw. Some people, like Rose, carved their space out viciously. Steven was more content to keep his head down and let the city pass him by unnoticed. 

A sudden pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders, and his heart nearly punched a hole through his chest. It wasn’t until he heard giggling that he allowed himself to unclench his fists.

“Connie! Don’t do that! I was half expecting a gun in my back.”

Connie Maheswaran was the practical opposite of Steven. Where he was short, round, and pale, she was tall, lean, and dark. More than that, she offered a necessary balance to his more mercurial nature, able to be both a grounding and elevating force, often at the same time. At the moment, she looked mildly abashed, but it was hard to tell underneath her huge grin. “Sorry. It’s just been a while.”

“Yeah, how was your mom’s trip?”

“Good! She learned about some new painkillers. Easier to get her hands on.”

Steven allowed himself a small smile. Rose might claim that Empire City had no good guys, but Dr. Maheswaran was as strong a contender as anyone else. She was one of a handful of doctors that was willing to look the other way to help her patients, especially where scared, pregnant women were concerned. Rose had her on speed dial for such occasions; it was how the two had met. 

“And how’s your mom?” Her tone was friendly, but the caution in her eyes was bright.

Steven mumbled for a moment. “Ehh . . . We got a new girl.”

Connie winced. “The usual bullshit.”

“Yup.”

“I’m sorry.” She rested a hand on his shoulder. “How’s she holding up?”

“Okay, I guess. Not as wigged out as some I’ve seen, which is good.”

The friends fell into easy conversation, making their way back home. Whether providence or coincidence, they had found out that they lived at opposite ends of the same apartment complex. Ducking around the occasional junkie was never fun, but it was still a better situation than either of them could have hoped for. 

Soon, the massive, weather-stained buildings of home began to loom in sight. A few figures shuffled at the corners, but it was a non-busy night. They made their way to Connie’s unit, still chatting as they swung the door open.

“Hello, Connie! Is the Quartz boy with you?”

“You know it!”

“I figured as much. You’re in luck, Steven, we’re having  _ manga saatham _ tonight.”

Steven let out an appreciative whoop, much to the Maheswarans’ amusement. The three quickly gathered around the table, Dr. Maheswaran and Connie stepping over each other to tell Steven about their trip, him shoveling mango rice into his mouth and nodding in awe at their knotted storytelling. He’d go home in an hour or two, but right now, he was where he wanted to be.

 

Peridot stood outside the pink cursive door, trying and failing to steady herself. Rose had asked her to come in once the work day was over. Amethyst had been given her clothes, even a new set of pajamas. She had gone over the expenses and filed them as needed. None of the girls were sick or pregnant, as far as she knew. This left only a few options for why she had been asked to stay behind, and she didn’t like any of them. She did see Greg bolt from the building with his tail between his legs. Maybe Rose was finally going to have him killed. That was an option she liked. 

She knocked on the door finally, holding her breath.

“Come in, Peridot.”

Oh, God. Rose was using her flirty voice. She had never heard her use it on someone who wasn’t a customer; now it was aimed at her.

Peridot pushed the door open, holding back a groan when she saw Rose nearly sprawled on her desk in her silk robe. Thank God, it looked like she was wearing something underneath.

“Yes, Ms. Quartz?” Peridot turned up the professionalism to an eleven. 

“Peridot, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Rose?” She sat up slowly, lazily stretching in a manner not unlike a cat. “You didn’t used to be so stiff, what happened to you?”

Peridot mumbled something that wasn’t quite words.

“Speak up. For someone who tries to be so professional, you get so bashful.” Now Rose was closing the space between them, and Peridot could barely hear anything outside of her heartbeat in her ears. Would it really be so bad if she let Rose have her way? It wasn’t like she had any plans of leaving their business any time soon. Money aside, things like running illegal brothels had a way of following you around for a while. And she wasn’t against being with a woman. She had her fun with the delivery girls from the Malachite Cartel. 

But the thought of Rose, ever-present enough as it was, having her claws that much more into her left Peridot with a choking sensation, and she backed out the door before she realized that she was running.

Rose stood at the door frame, watching her receptionist clumsily bolt away in her ridiculous heels. Was this a cat and mouse game now? It had already felt like that, Peridot had no need to escalate. Unless . . .

She took a deep, shaking breath. No. Everything was fine. The alternative was not something to think about, so she wouldn’t. She slowly closed the door, dropping her robe and finding some more acceptable clothes. She changed, a bit slowly perhaps, and crept up to the front. Peridot sat at her desk, staring out the window, her fingers laced so tightly her knuckles gleamed white. 

“What was that?”

Peridot opened her mouth to speak, then let it fall back shut without a sound.

“What it looked like was a rejection.”

Peridot said nothing, but Rose saw it. The tiniest flicker in her eyes, utter shame and fear that could not be hidden, no matter how stone-faced she attempted to make herself. Rose felt an ugly lump in her throat. 

“Peridot, I’m going to go home early today. You know how to close up.” With that, Rose quickly glided back into her office, the door slamming violently. A moment later, she reappeared, stopping at the door.

 “I lifted you from the gutter, Peridot. Don’t think for a moment I can’t turn you back into that drowning rat.” The door slammed shut behind her, and Rose was gone.

Peridot remained statuesque, afraid she’d crack her teeth with how tight she held her jaw. She’d review her bank statements when she went home that night. A beneficiary was starting to look like a good idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back, back again?  
> Sorry for the long wait, hopefully it gets better now that it's summer.


End file.
